The interior of a motor vehicle having a rear hatch or opening, such as a van, minivan, SUV or station wagon, has been designed to allow users to carry a variety of things in the rear portion of the vehicle, similar to the functional purposes of a flat bed truck. In addition to providing a means for transporting objects, the interior of a van, minivan, SUV or station wagon is designed to provide a clean and comfortable environment to the people, pets or objects which are being carried. The ability to carry a variety of things in the rear part of a motor vehicle is one of the key features in designing a motor vehicle with a rear hatch or opening.
In order to maintain a clean environment within a motor vehicle when transporting utility cargo such as lumber, logs, sand, gravel or small shrubs, a temporary liner must be put in place to protect the upholstered environment of the motor vehicle. If a temporary liner is not available to the user and the utility cargo is placed within the motor vehicle without using some sort of protective covering, the interior of the motor vehicle has the potential of becoming damaged due to dirt or other debris left from the cargo being carried. In addition to potentially damaging the upholstery of the interior of the motor vehicle, any mechanical devices located on the floor of the motor vehicle, such as seat floor anchors, could become damaged or non-functional due to debris being trapped within these devices.
The present invention provides two embodiments (which can be used in combination or separately) of a protective liner which allows the interior of a motor vehicle to be protected from cargo being transported. One embodiment of the present invention is a bag-like protective liner which reflects the size and shape of the interior of the motor vehicle with a rear hatch or opening. The internal protective liner maintains a clean and protective environment within the vehicle's interior cavity, therefore the interior of the motor vehicle can quickly change from transporting cargo to carrying people. In general the protective liner transforms a motor vehicle having a rear hatch or opening into or resembling a truck-like embodiment for functional cargo carrying purposes.
The second embodiment of the protective liner is a telescopic, collapsible plastic floor covering. This floor covering embodiment transforms a motor vehicle having a rear hatch or opening into a vehicle which has the functional capabilities similar to those of a flat bed or pick-up truck. The telescopic floor covering is comprised of a plurality of slidable plates that are interlocked. Each individual slidable plate is proportionally smaller than the adjacent plate and is connected in a forward configuration, thereby allowing the plates to slide on top of one another. The collapsible configuration allows the plastic floor covering to be stored easily as well as be adjustable relative to the size of the cargo being transported.
Each protective liner embodiment provides a device for protecting the interior of a motor vehicle while allowing for various cargoes to be transported.